HOUSTON – NASA granted KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding rare access inside Mission Control at Johnson Space Center as the Artemis II crew travels toward the moon, offering a firsthand look at the team responsible for guiding the historic mission.
Inside the White Flight Control Room, dozens of flight controllers monitor the Orion space capsule in real time, tracking everything from life support systems to astronaut activity as the mission unfolds.
“We’re in historic mission control in Houston,” said Kylie Clem with NASA’s Office of Communications. “We are watching Artemis II right now, the crew that is on the way to the moon.”
The room, which previously supported the space shuttle and International Space Station programs, is now overseeing its first crewed lunar mission, Clem said.
NASA officials said teams inside Mission Control operate around the clock, rotating through shifts to maintain constant oversight of the spacecraft and crew.
“There are three teams that work around the clock,” Clem said. “Everybody in this room is a flight controller that is watching over a particular system or activity that is going on onboard the spacecraft.”
At the center of the room sits the flight director, who leads each shift, alongside the CAPCOM, or capsule communicator, who relays information between Mission Control and the astronauts.
Even during quiet periods, including when astronauts are asleep, teams continue monitoring spacecraft systems, including temperature, life support and onboard equipment.
Beyond the main control room, additional support staff work in “back rooms,” analyzing data in greater detail and assisting flight controllers in real time, Clem said.
“This is kind of the tip of the iceberg,” she said. “There’s several people behind the scenes also watching.”
On Flight Day 3, controllers in Houston are guiding one of the mission’s key milestones so far.
Astronauts Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Hansen are set to demonstrate CPR procedures in microgravity, while commander Reid Wiseman and Glover will test elements of Orion’s medical kit, including a thermometer, blood pressure monitor, stethoscope and otoscope.
Koch is also scheduled to test Orion’s emergency communications system using the Deep Space Network later in the day.
NASA officials said the crew will rehearse procedures for upcoming scientific observations planned for Flight Day 6, when Orion will make its closest approach to the moon.
NASA said access to the viewing area overlooking Mission Control is limited, typically reserved for family members, VIPs and select media.
“This is a unique opportunity to be able to see this during Artemis II,” Clem said.
The Artemis II mission marks the first time humans have traveled toward the moon in more than 50 years, with four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft.
While astronauts are the public face of the mission, officials emphasized the critical role of the Houston-based teams working behind the scenes.
“This is the team behind the scenes,” Clem said. “It takes the crew, trainers, flight control teams and science experts to make a human spaceflight mission happen.”
The mission continues as the spacecraft heads toward a planned lunar flyby before returning to Earth.